Adderall Facts & Myths

Today it seems that people are using Adderall and other “study drugs” to do everything from improving performance to losing weight to getting high. However, the most recent research indicates that people who abuse drugs for these purposes do not get a clinical benefit from Adderall or any other study drug — they just think they do. Before you decide that Adderall, Ritalin, Vynase, or another prescription stimulant is the answer to your focus prayers, learn the facts.

When They Work and When They Don’t

Drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin reached the public consciousness when they became popular pharmacological remedies for kids who suffered symptoms associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children who took therapeutic doses of prescription amphetamines demonstrated greater focus and improved work in a variety of areas, including school, home, and sports.

Other students who use these drugs — those without ADHD — figured that taking a stimulant would heighten their own performance, too. However, the consequences can include dependency and addiction.

An increasing number of scientists who test the effects of drugs such as Adderall are reporting that they offer no clinical benefit to people who take the drug without demonstrating true symptoms of ADHD. This means people who abuse Adderall to improve performance on an important test, for example, do not demonstrate improvement in memory, problem solving ability or impulse control. Instead, drugs such as Adderall trick the user into thinking better performance results from use, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.

How Adderall Works

It isn’t surprising that people who take a prescription stimulant feel better about the work they’re doing. Adderall, like many other drugs, affects the release of a brain chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is part of the powerful reward system built into the brain. In large amounts, dopamine causes euphoria while also negatively affecting learning and memory.

Drugs that cause physical dependency train the brain to release dopamine only after taking drugs. Without dopamine, serious side effects result. These effects include depression and anxiety, as well as the stress that occurs from a growing addiction. Some withdrawals also cause severe flu-like symptoms

For people who have a demonstrated clinical need to take Adderall and who take it exactly as directed, the drug can produce exceptional results. Unfortunately, for those who abuse it to get high or who decide to take it because of a misguided belief that the drug will improve performance, it’s all too easy to fall into a trap — a trap of dependency and addiction.